Rainforest Information

Interesting Fact:
More than 20 percent of the world oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest.

What is a Rainforest?

Rainforests are very dense, warm and wet
forests.

Why is it called a Rainforest?

The reason it is called a "rain" forest is because of the high amount of rainfall it gets per year. Rainforests have an annual rainfall of at least 100 inches (254 centimeters) and often much more.

Why are Rainforests important to us?

They are very important as the plants of the rainforest
generate much of the Earth’s oxygen

Interesting Fact:

Rainforests cover only 6 %of the Earth's surface but yet they contain MORE THAN 1/2 of the world's plant and animal species!

How many different types of Rainforests are there?

There are two types of Rainforest:

Temperate Rainforests

Tropical Rainforests

Find out more (Click on the link "Types of Rainforest" on the left of the page)

Interesting Fact:

Rainforests are found on every continent across the Earth, except Antarctica.

Where in the world are Rainforests found?

Tropical rainforests are found close to the equator where temperatures and rainfall are
very high all year round. The major areas of tropical rainforests are in South East Asia, West Africa and South and Central America. The best known rain forests are found in tropical
regions between the Tropics of cancer and
Capricorn.

Temperate rainforests are found along coasts in the temperate zone.
The largest temperate rainforests are found on North America's Pacific Coast and stretch from Northern California up into Canada. Temperate rainforests have one long wet winter/spring
season, and a dry foggy summer.

What lives in a Rainforest?

As many as 30 million species of plants and animals live in tropical rainforests.

Interesting Fact:

A typical four square mile patch of rainforest contains as many as 1,500 flowering plants, 750 species of trees, 400 species of birds and 150 species of butterflies.

What are the different layers of a Rainforest Called?

There are four main parts of a Rainforest. They are:

Emergent Layer -
very sunny because it is the very top. Only the tallest trees reach this level. Who lives here? birds, butterflies and small monkeys live with bats, snakes and bugs.

Canopy Layer - much of the rain is stopped by the thick foliage. Most trees in the forest grow to this height. There are plants that grow in the canopy layer. Their roots don't reach the ground. These are called air plants. Who lives here? birds, monkeys, frogs, and sloths, as well as lizards, snakes and many insects. See photos

Understory Layer -
many vines, dense vegetation, not much light. Who lives here? birds, butterflies, frogs and snakes See photos

Forest Floor - dark, damp, full of many dead leaves, twigs and dead plants. The forest floor is dark due to the trees above stopping the sunlight from entering the forest. It is estimated that only 2% of the sunlight actually reaches the floor. Who lives here? jaguars in South America, gorillas and leopards in Africa and tapirs and tigers and elephants in Asia.
See photos

An area of a rainforest the size of a football field is being destroyed each second.

Rainforest Websites

Rainforest at Night
A Geographic interactive website that explores the Rainforest at Night. Simply move your mouse over the page (like shining a spotlight) to discover photos and then click on the photo to learn additional facts. www.nationalgeographic.com